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If Shutdown Doesn't End, Universities Have To Furlough Some Employees

As efforts continue in Washington to end the federal government shutdown, more furloughs are being announced in Arkansas. But some of the damage is being mitigated.

University of Arkansas at Little Rock Chancellor Joel Anderson said in an email to employees Tuesday that after initially expecting to have to furlough 196 employees and students who are paid with federal funds, they have been able to find exceptions to the mandate and now only expect 46 to be furloughed.

“We remain hopeful that the government shutdown will end soon so that all employees and students will be back to continue their work,” Anderson wrote.

Meanwhile at the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences, Chancellor Dan Rahn said in an internal email that 23 people will be furloughed there effective Wednesday.

“These employees are funded by the Veterans Administration through the Intergovernmental Personnel Act (IPA) and are involved in research projects located at the John L. McClellan Memorial Veterans Hospital,” Rahn wrote.

“We had been told by the Veterans Administration last week that funding for these employees would continue during the shutdown, but we were later informed that wasn’t the case.”

Meanwhile the University of Arkansas in Fayetteville said Monday that as many as 100 of its employees may be furloughed this week if the shutdown doesn’t end.

Michael Hibblen was a journalist for KUAR News from May 2009 — December 2022. During his final 10 years with the station, he served as News Director. In January 2023, he was hired by Arkansas PBS to become its Senior Producer/ Director of Public Affairs.